As we begin to realize that our home office spaces might become more permanent and possibly shared with our children’s school space, we thought it would be helpful to pull together some tips for optimizing your home to be productive for both your work and your kid’s schooling.
Optimizing Your Home Office and School Space
The two things you need to do are: find comfort and remove distractions.
When setting up a productive workspace, you want to eliminate any distractions and ensure you will stay in that space comfortably for as long as you need. Here are some tips and tricks for doing just that:
Designate a workspace (or learning space).
This is one of the most impactful steps to setting up your space. Make sure your workspace is tucked away from the general traffic and noise of your home. Additionally, having an area that is out of the way can also help you sperate work life from your home life.
Things to consider when picking your spot:
1. The proximity to regularly used tools like printers, books, files, and other office materials
2. Natural or bright lighting for good video call quality
3. Good WiFi signal strength, or ability to have a wired internet connection
Get comfortable.
Your productivity will be significantly increased if you feel comfortable in your space and don’t have to get up or move frequently. Though you might not be thinking about it, having your chair, desk, keyboard, and monitor at the correct heights can help you complete your work with ease and reduce stiffness or even injury.
You know your work surface is at the correct height if, when you sit up straight, your forearms are parallel to the ground, and your wrist is not bent up or down when you type or mouse. The top surface of your wrist should essentially be on the same plane as the top of your forearm, with your fingers dangling slightly down to the keyboard. Your monitor should line up so that if you look straight ahead when sitting directly, your eyes are at the height of 25% to 30% below the top of the screen. That way, you keep your shoulders level and don’t hunch your back. For extra adjustment and standing capabilities check out this standing desk converter our President, Dustin Frost, swears by.
If you have the means, design your space to be inviting and happy since you will be there for a good portion of the day. Updating wall colors, adding in plants and décor, or maybe a nice candle can add extra comfort.
Be Consistent.
The biggest game-changer we have experienced hasn’t been physical changes to our spaces (though those have been helpful), but the installation of regular routines. Setting a schedule for when you are working and when you are off helping maintain a work-life balance, so you aren’t left feeling burnt out. Adding structure to your day gives you a reliable framework and trains your body to focus during work hours.
Here at Attentus, these tips have been lifesavers. If you are interested in talking more about how we can help outfit your company with the technology services needed to support work from home, give us a call today.
